The present disclosure relates to using and querying information associated with extensions for core process models.
Most enterprise systems that include software components associated with core process model definition/use can provide various levels of adaptation capabilities. Typical systems, however, may not support controlled mechanisms for defining and using extensions associated with reference core process models. Documentation that describes how the extensions work may be available in printed or online format, but no automation exists by which extensions are used in a controlled and predicable way. As such, the documentation does not provide a dedicated visualization of extension points, e.g., in a user interface for defining extensions, including allowing a user to select from patterns associated with process extensions.
Enterprise systems can provide extensibility frameworks on applications and user interface layers that include plug-in extensions. However, a controlled extension of reference core process models provided by enterprise system vendors to document their shipped processes can be lacking or non-existent. Not having an explicit extension concept for process reference models can complicate the development process, e.g., as system integrators can be required to identify and use extension points on an application code-level with low abstraction. Furthermore, a proper lifecycle-management of core processes (reference models) and extensions cannot be guaranteed. This can especially be true in the context of cloud-based enterprise systems, e.g., Software-as-a Service (SaaS). For example, SaaS platform providers need to provide dedicated extension mechanisms, as multiple customers can share the same platform. When extending a reference core process model, but not doing so in a controlled way, the overall stability and reliability of the core enterprise system cannot be guaranteed.
In some implementations, reference processes can be described as flow charts within product documentation. However, the extensions are not explicitly modeled in a formal business process modeling language nor do they provide a visualization of extension points. Beside industry approaches, some scientific approaches have been proposed regarding extensions.
Process change patterns comprise a collection of patterns for control flow changes of workflows. By applying change patterns, for example, the source process schema can be physically modified. Therefore, process change patterns do not address the goal of controlled extensibility, as the source process schema on the one hand and process extensions on the other hand cannot evolve independently.
Process flexibility patterns can deal with the adaptation of process-aware information systems grouped by various different flexibility types. For example, this pattern library may not include patterns that address the requirement of controlled reference process extensibility. By applying respective patterns, for example, the source process schema can be physically modified that hinders an independent evolution of the source schema and its extension.
As a reference core process model may be quite large to capture all possible pathways in the various settings in which it may be used, the notion of a configurable reference core process models can be introduced. Process configuration can typically be a one-off activity where there is no possibility for further adaptation of the configured model. However, the evolution of configurable reference core process models can be supported in an approach using extension points that allow an extension to be plugged into a core process model in a controlled manner.
In some implementations, process variants can support management of a base process with its variants throughout a process lifecycle. The variants can be represented, for example, by a set of change operations describing the difference between the base process and the different variants. Change operations that can be supported include, for example, operation to insert, delete, move and modify process fragments. Within the definition of change operations, adjustment points can be used to refer to elements of the base process that need to be changed. However, when applying the change operations, the base process is modified which can hinder a further evolution of the basic process as there are no dedicated extension points in the base process.
Various scientific approaches have been proposed to formalize Business Process Model and Notation (BPMN) models into ontologies in order to define, e.g., Structured Protocol and Resource Description Framework (RDF) Query Language (SPARQL) queries on top of it. However, none of these approaches deals with modeling and query extension points as addressed by this disclosure.